House mail-box.



E. E. BRUMBAUGH.

HOUSE MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29. 1912.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916. v

I//////ll/( 1 W1 T/VESSES EDWARD E. BRUMIBAUGI E, OF IMLER,PENNSYLVANIA.

HOUSE IVIAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 22, 1916.

Application filed February 29, 1912. Serial No. 680,654.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD E. BRUM- BAUGH, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Imler, in the county of Bedford and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in HouseMail-Boxes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to mail boxes, and it relates especially to newand useful improvements in house mail boxes.

An object of the invention is to provide a mail box adapted to besecured on the outside door of a house, and therefore, lo cated at aconvenient and accessible point for receiving the mail from the mailcarrier and for delivering it to the proper party or parties. 7

A further object, is to provide a mail box having a mail-receivingopening provided with a spring-pressed closure which may be quickly andeasily opened by the hand which is depositing the mail therein.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a deliveryopening, closed by a door, which can be opened by one person, only whenthe house-door to which it is secured is open.

A still further object is to provide latchoperating means, for the door,which ex tends from the interior to the exterior of the house-door, andis adjustable-for fitting doors of different thicknesses.

A still further object is to provide a latch operating device for thedoor, having means to provide for the positive actuation of the latch atall times.

Other objects and advantages will be hereinafter set forth and pointedout in the specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are made a part of this application,Figure 1 illustrates, in perspective, a door having one of my improvedhouse-mailing boxes attached. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewthrough a fragment of a house-door and through the mail box on line 22of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 ofFig. 2. Fig. 4: is a fragmental sectional detail view of a modified formof latch-actuating axle and handle and, Fig. 5 is a detail sectionalview taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. i.

Referring to the drawings, the mail box, as a whole, is designated bynumeral 6, and is secured on the house-door 7 by screws 8, or otherproper means. At the upper front portion of the box is a receivingopening 9, through which the mail carrier may deposit mail into the box.The opening 9 is provided with a closure 10, held in closed position bymeans of spring 11. This closure is hinged to the box at 12 and isprovided, at its lower edge with a weather guard 13. Fixed lugs 14:, onthe inside of the ends of the box constitute stops for limiting thedownward movement of the closure 10.

Obviously, mail may be inserted in the box by using only the one handwhich carries the mail, by simply pressing inward upon the closure 10,and forcing it against the action of the spring 11 until a suflicientopening is made between the closure and the top of the box for insertingthe mail, and on removing the hand from the closure the same will assumethe position shown in Fig. 2.

The lower front part of the box is provided with a delivery opening 15,through which mail may be taken from the box. This opening 15 isnormally closed by a door which is hinged at 16, said door having akeeper 17, whereby it may be locked, and having a knob 18, whereby itmay be opened when unlocked. A latch 19 is normally held in engagementwith the keeper 17 by means of a leaf-spring 20, and said latch issecured to an axle 21 and adaptedto be oscillated therewith, forengagement and alternative disengagement with the keeper. The wall ofthe box is apertured at 22, and the door 7 is correspondingly apertured;and through these apertures the axle 21 may extend and unite with ahandle or knob 23. A guard 80 is secured to the front wall of the box atone edge of opening 15, and latch 19 extends through said guard intoengagement with keeper 17 the outer end of spring 20 also extendingthrough said guard so that lateral movement of the latch and springrelative to each other is prevented.

In Fig. 2 the axle 21 is indicated as if in one piece, and it may befound preferable, at times, to employ this simple construction; but itmay usually be found advisable to employ a structure such as, or similarto, that which is shown in Figs. & and 5, in which the axle 21 ispreferably reduced in diameter at 24 and slabbed or flattened as at 25.A sleeve 26, having an aperture 27, which conforms to the shape of theslabbed portion 25, receives said slabbed portion, and provides for thepositive rotation. of the axle or rod 21. The sleeve 26 is also adaptedto be moved longitudinally thereof, and thereby made adjustable forfitting doors of different thicknesses. After the adjustment has beenmade the members 25 and 26 may be secured in fixed relation by means ofthe set-screw 28, and the box may then be secured to the outer side ofthe door, a sufficiently large aperture 29 being made in the door 7 toallow the set-screw to be inserted and operated.

I do not limit my invention to the exact details of construction andarrangement of parts shown and illustrated, but the invention is limitedonly by a reasonable inter pretation of the following claims.

I claim,

1. In combination, a door having an opening therethrough, a mail boxsecured to the outer side of said door and covering said opening, adelivery door hinged to said mail box, a keeper upon the inner side ofsaid delivery door, a rod pivotally mounted Within said mail box, alatch mounted upon the for- Ward end of said rod and actuated thereby, aleaf spring having one end secured upon said mail box and its free endbearing upon said latch for normally holding the latch in engagementwith said keeper, said rod having its inner end reduced and providedWith a flattened portion at one side and projecting through he rear Wallof said mail box, a sleeve having a central bore provided With aflattened Wall for adjustably receiving the reduced. end and flattenedportion of said rod to provide for the positive rotation of said rod andsaid latch, a set screw Within said sleeve for engaging the flattenedportion of said reduced end of said rod for re taining said sleeve inadjusted position thereon, said reduced end of said rod and Copies ofthis patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the box,keeper upon the inner side of said.

delivery door, a rod pivotally mounted within said mall box, a latchmounted upon the forward end of said rod and actuated thereby, a leafspring having one end securedv upon said mail box and its free endbearing upon said latch for normally holding the latch. in engagementwith the said keeper, said rod having its inner end reduced andprojecting through the rear Wall of said mail box, said reduced end ofsaid rod being flattened. at one side, a sleeve having a re cess of theconformation of the reduced end of said rod for adjustably receivingsaid. reduced end for assuring the rotation of said rod, a set screwWithin said sleeve for engaging the flattened. portion of said reducedend for adjustably retaining said sleeve upon said reduced end of saidrod, said reduced end of said rod and said sleeve being adapted foradjustment for doors of.

diflferent thicknesses at the outer side of said mail box and previousto applying the mail box to the door, and a knob secured upon saidsleeve at the inner side of said door for actuating said latch throughsaid sleeveand said rod.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

EDIVARD E. BRUh IBAUGH.

Witnesses:

D. E. GOCHNOUR, Jos. M. DIVELY.

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I. C. e

